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Shloka 78

द्रोणपर्व (अध्याय ११२) — कर्णभीमयोर्युद्धम्, दुर्योधनस्य रक्षणादेशः

Droṇa-parva 112: Karṇa–Bhīma Engagement and Duryodhana’s Protective Order

नागानां शृणु शब्दं च पत्तीनां च सहस्रश: । सादिनां द्रवतां चैव शूणु कम्पयतां महीम्‌,हाथियोंके चिग्धाड़नेकी आवाज सुनो। सहस्रों पैदल सिपाहियों तथा पृथ्वीको कम्पित करते हुए दौड़ लगानेवाले घुड़सवारोंके शब्द सुन लो

nāgānāṃ śṛṇu śabdaṃ ca pattīnāṃ ca sahasraśaḥ | sādīnāṃ dravatāṃ caiva śṛṇu kampayatāṃ mahīm ||

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Listen to the sound of the elephants, and to the clamour of thousands of foot-soldiers. Hear too the thunder of the horsemen as they charge, shaking the earth beneath them.”

नागानाम्of the elephants
नागानाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootनाग
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
शृणुhear
शृणु:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु
FormImperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada
शब्दम्sound, noise
शब्दम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootशब्द
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
पत्तीनाम्of the foot-soldiers
पत्तीनाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootपत्ति
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
सहस्रशःby thousands, in thousands
सहस्रशः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसहस्रशस्
सादिनाम्of the horsemen (cavalrymen)
सादिनाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसादिन्
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
द्रवताम्of (those) running, rushing
द्रवताम्:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootद्रवत्
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed, just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
शृणुhear
शृणु:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु
FormImperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada
कम्पयताम्of (those) causing to tremble
कम्पयताम्:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootकम्पयत्
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
महीम्the earth
महीम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमही
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular

युधिष्ठिर उवाच

Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
E
elephants
I
infantry (patti)
C
cavalry/horsemen (sādī)

Educational Q&A

The verse foregrounds attentive awareness in the midst of chaos: a leader must clearly perceive the realities of war—its scale, momentum, and consequences—before deciding what is righteous and effective. It implicitly reminds the listener that dharma in crisis requires alertness, not denial.

Yudhiṣṭhira draws attention to the battlefield’s overwhelming din—elephants roaring, thousands of infantry shouting, and cavalry charging so forcefully that the earth seems to tremble—signaling the intensity and immediacy of the ongoing combat in Droṇa Parva.